Once more into the breach

It’s now the January of a new year, and for me, that means a return to the classroom for the final term of the academic year. Or almost, anyway. As it so happens, the students get to come back from their winter vacation, hastily completed homework in hand, only to find a series of aptitude tests awaiting them. Such is their constant plight. I have to admit, I’m surprised at the sheer amount of government-mandated tests they’re required to take, and wondering if they have any particular significance for the students or the schools. Surely they can’t all determine the students’ academic futures, can they?

That said, I can’t say that I have any particular opposition to these tests, because for me, it means I get to spend one more day in something approximating vacation-mode. While I may be sitting at a desk trying to look industrious, I also have the luxury of changing tack on a whim, and (of course) regaling people who stayed in Osaka with tales of my travels at the end of 2008. People around here always seem surprised that I didn’t return home for the holidays, but for me, at least, it was obvious: I am firmly of the opinion that when you have the opportunity to go someplace you have never been before, you should take it before it passes by. This attitude has occasionally led to my becoming temporarily lost in unfamiliar areas, but I have always come out of such situations with a healthy appreciation for the places I’ve been, and an even greater determination to explore further next time.

So when it came time to plot my latest adventure, I was nearly burning up with anticipation. I would finally head to the other side of Honshu, and explore the Sea of Japan coast as well as the rugged central mountains. For me, this was especially important, because it really doesn’t snow in any significant quantity in Osaka. Having spent my childhood in the North Country, where people scoff at Lake Effect whiteouts, and pretty much everyone has a pair of snow pants, I’ve been disappointed about this for a long while. Japan’s other coast, in contrast, gets plenty of snow in the winter months: in fact, some of the most picturesque views of the places I was going were taken in winter, reassuring me that a lush blanket of new-fallen powder would grace every hillside and treetop for the perfect touch of home. Its reputation is such that it’s actually known as “Snow Country”. Perfect.

With this criterion in mind, I decided to trace my way in a clockwise loop from Osaka: first heading northwards to see Amanohashidate, one of Japan’s “Three Views”; then east, to the port city of Maizuru; stopping in the coincidentally named Obama, and then on to Kanazawa, with its famous gardens and well-preserved samurai- and merchand quarters. After that, it would be on to the rustic mountain village of Shirakawa (a UNESCO-selected World Heritage site), and the well-preserved history—not to mention hot spring baths—of Hida-Takayama, otherwise known as “Little Kyoto”. In short, it was to be a whirlwind tour over five days, with me carting most everything in an oversized backpack, much to the protestation of my overworked feet.

On second thought, maybe “whirlwind” isn’t really the right word. To accommodate a substantial amount of long-distance travel, mostly by rail, I took advantage of the “Youth 18 Ticket”, sold through the Japan Railways Group. For a mere ¥11500 (roughly $120 or so), you get five days of unlimited travel on any local train on any line run by the successor corporations to the National Rail. To put it another way, this meant that I could travel far and do so cheaply, but at a snail’s pace. Express trains aren’t covered by the ticket, and the bullet train lines—not that there were any, where I was going—don’t even let you through the gate with it. But on the bright side, I did get to enjoy the scenery along the way.

One thing I hadn’t anticipated with regards to the trains, though, is the sheer emptiness of the timetable in the less-populous regions of the country. Scanning the chart to try and plan my route for the first and second days, I was dismayed to discover that local trains past the northern reaches of the Osaka metropolitan area run at one per hour, if that. If I was going to get anywhere with something resembling decent speed, it would mean making all of my connections at various transfer stations… so you can just about guess how that turned out. Nevertheless, I can say with satisfaction that the ability to leave the station and come back, either to buy snacks or just to wander, is a major perk that helps kill the boredom of having to wait 75 minutes for the next train like the one you just missed.

In spite of the inconvenience of the trains, however, I still managed to make my entire trip using public transportation, which is something I could scarcely imagine being able to do back home. Even in the sparsely populated areas where I was, there were more trains on a given day (actually, quite a few more, factoring in the expresses that I couldn’t take) than many of Amtrak’s long-haul services through New York State. For me, it’s great. But it’s also kind of sad when a rural Japanese line linking modest-sized towns gets more regular service than most any train line in the US outside of the Northeast Corridor. It really makes a world of difference when it comes to getting around.

But now that the “travel” part is mostly out of the way, I really ought to tell you about what I actually saw on my journey. So, over the next few weeks, I’ll be giving you highlights from my trip, as well as a few of my more interesting observations. The full account would probably take up the space of this column for the better part of a year, but I hope you find the Cliffs Notes version at least somewhat entertaining. Now, onward to next week, and Day 1!

BONUS: As an exclusive to those reading this online, I now present to you my first two drafts of my travel itinerary. Much too ambitious. Click for readable size: